Car industry VW boss questions the end of new combustion cars in 2035
VW CEO Oliver Blume has questioned the 2035 date for the end of new petrol and diesel vehicles in the EU. In an interview with the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" newspaper on Saturday, he said that politically flexible transition periods may be needed.
26.04.2025, 01:53
SDA
When it comes to the traffic turnaround, there is a need for "repeated checkpoints that are based on the realities of how quickly e-mobility is spreading", Blume told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" on the sidelines of the motor show in Shanghai.
In this context, the VW CEO praised the EU Commission's proposal to introduce a three-year compensation mechanism for the CO2 fleet targets from 2025 to 2027. This means that "not a single gram of CO2 savings will be lost to protect the climate", Blume assured. However, manufacturers would be given flexibility to achieve their CO2 targets. "It's a real reality check," Blume told the NOZ newspaper. "We need the same for future milestones such as 2030 and 2035."
"Framework conditions must be right"
At the same time, VW CEO Blume called for more support from politicians. "The ramp-up of e-mobility will not succeed with the right cars alone," he said in the interview. "The framework conditions must also be right." These include the charging infrastructure, energy prices and "binding support for e-mobility".
At the beginning of April, the EU Commission spoke out in favor of giving car manufacturers three years to meet stricter CO2 emissions targets for their vehicles instead of the planned deadline of the end of 2025. Electric cars are considered emission-free - they can be offset against other, more climate-damaging vehicles from the same manufacturer as part of the fleet limits.
Companies such as Volkswagen and Renault are struggling to meet the stricter emissions standards. They had called for more flexibility in Brussels, as fines could be imposed if EU targets are not met. The European Parliament and the 27 EU member states now have to negotiate the Commission's proposals for relaxation. The negotiators could theoretically introduce further changes to the limit values and even to the 2035 ban on combustion engines.
